Electromagnetic power-generator.



No. 800,394. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905. J. L. POTTER & R. A. MILLER.

ELECTROMAGNETIC POWER GENERATOR.

APILIGLTION FILED DEC. 31, 1904 MJJ/QZZ,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH L. POTTER AND REINHOLD A. MILLER, OF INDIANAPOLIS,

INDIANA.

ELECTROMAGNETIC POWER-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed December 31, 1904. Serial No. 239,077.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH L. POTTER and REINHoLD A. MILLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electromagnetic Power-Generators; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to power-generators, including devices whereby the power generated may be practically applied, the invention having reference particularly to generators that are dependent upon electrical energy as their sources of power.

An ob ect of the invention is to provide electromagnetic generators whereby power may be applied to movable devicessuch as rotative shafts, crank-arms, levers, and reciprocatory rods having greater degrees of movements than that of simple armatures that are designed to be attracted by electromagnets.

Another object is to provide electromagnetic generators of compact form and simple construction which may be adapted for converting reciprocatory into rotative motion and furnishing power for driving machines and other devices.

A still further object is to provide amusing and instructive toys in the nature of generators and whereby other toys may be actuated.

The invention, broadly stated, consists of a compound armature influenced by degrees and actuated by an electromagnet and transmitting motion and power to a movable body, to which the armature is connected.

Specifically the invention consists of a compound armature composed of a plurality of separate armatures assembled together opposite to an electromagnet and influenced thereby successively, a movable body adapted to withdraw the separate armatures successively from the electromagnet when the electric current is periodically cut off therefrom, a source of electricity, a make-and-break device for periodically connecting the circuit to the electromagnet, and means for transmitting motion and power from the plurality of armatures forming the compound armature through the means of the movable body.

The invention consists, further, in the novel parts and the combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figurel is a side elevation of a type of generator in which the invention is embodied; Fig. 2, an end 'elevation of the generator; Fig. 3, a top plan thereof; Fig. 4, a fragmentary vertical section thereof, showing the compound armature in transverse vertical section; Fig. 5, a fragmentary side elevation of the generator, showing the armature in longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 6, an inverted plan view of the armature connected to the movable body, which is in section; Fig. 7 a perspective view of one of the separate armatures of the compound 'armature, and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view showing the make-and-break device.

Similar reference characters in the drawings designate corresponding parts or features.

The invention may be embodied in a variety of forms, as will further appear, and the generator may be designed either as a vertical, a horizontal, or an inclined machine.

For descriptive purposes the invention is herein illustrated in the form of an upright generator mounted on a portable base, on which is detachably mounted also a dry battery, the whole adapted to be used as a toy and also suitable for enlarged construction with similar arrangement for driving useful machinery.

In the drawings, A designates a base, and B an upright frame mounted on the base, a rotative shaft C, provided with a crank D, being journaled on the frame. A balance-wheel E and a driving-pulley F are secured to the shaft C. A suitable guide G is secured to the frame B and guides a vertically-movable crosshead H, and a pitman I is connected pivotally to the cross-head and also to the crank D of the shaft 0. A suitable electromagnet is secured to the base and preferably it is substantially like the horseshoe form of magnet, that herein shown having two upright arms J and J, suitably wound with wire about cores (0 and (6, that are connected to a yoke K, whereby the device is secured to the base. A reciprocatory rod L has its upper end attached to and guided by the cross-head H, and the lower end of the rod is suitably guided in the yoke and the base. The rod L is provided at the lower portion thereof with a projection 5, preferably in the form of a collar secured to the rod.

The compound armature is composed of a plurality of sections coupled so that they may be separated to a limited extent or be moved closely together, the movements of the sections being progressive, each section being of itself an armature capable of being attracted separately by the electromagnet. In the present case there are four armatures M, M, M and M and if the stroke of the crank D were relatively longer an additional number of armatures or sections would be required or a less number for a shorter stroke. The armatures are preferably composed of soft-iron plates or bars, through which the rod L extends, so as to be movable relatively, and when the crank D is at its lower center the plates will rest one upon another on tops of the cores (0 and a. The arms J and J support brass guide-rods (Z and e, which extend through apertures f and f in the armatures for guiding the ends thereof. These guide-rods may be otherwise supported or other forms of guides may be substituted therefor. The armature M is provided with a hollow shank 0, which serves as a guide therefor, and a detachable connection between the armature and the projection Z), the shank being movable on the rod L. The armature M is provided with a somewhat similar shank g, that is shorter than the shank c, the armature M with a shank /t, that is shorter than the shank g, and the armature M with a shank 't', that is shorter than the shank it. The shorter shanks extend about the longer ones and each shank may move independently in vertical directions. I/Vhen the crank D is at its upper center of stroke, all of the shanks rest upon the projection .7) and hold the armatures apart above the magnetcores, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the lower armature M only being within the influence of the electromagnet, the others being too far removed to be attracted thereby with the use of a predetermined amount of electromagnetic force. It should be understood that if the rod L and the armature-shanks be square in crosssection the guides d and a may obviously be dispensed with. The armature shanks are shown as being integral with the armatures for convenience of illustration; but in practice it will be preferable to form the shanks of brass tubing and suitably secure them to the plates forming the armatures. In some cases the armatures will have their ends 1 and 2 turned toward the magnet-cores, the ends of the uppermost armatures extending over the ends of the next lowermost ones. It will be observed that the shanks of the armatures are designed to act as push-bars, so that the power exerted by the armatures may be applied to the rod L, and the specific formsand arrangements of these parts may be variously modified to perform the necessary functions of the shanks in this respect. In horizontal generators suitable provision may be made for preventing the armature from moving too far away from the magnet-cores, the force of gravity serving the purpose in the upright type.

A cam N is secured to the shaft C, and suitably mounted on the frame B are a pair of brushes 0 and 0, adapted to be engaged by the full part of the cam to connect the circuit between the brushes.

A tubular case I is connected to the base A by means of a hinge j, and a dry batteryQ is inserted removably in the case, the carbon element it of the battery being connected to a binding-post It, that is secured to the base A, a similar post S being also secured to the base to which the zinc element Z is connected. A circuit-wire m extends from the winding of the arm J to the brush 0, a wire 92. extends from the brush 0 to ahand-connector T, (or switch,) that is connected detachably to the post R, and a wire 1) extends from the postS to the winding of the arm J of the magnet device. During portions of the revolutions of the shaft C the cam N will not have contact with the brushes and will therefore break the electrical circuit. It will be understood, of course, that one brush will be suflicient if the shaft (3 be connected in the circuit according to common practice. The cam is usually so formed and arranged that it will close the circuit during about one-third of the revolution of the shaft U when the crank D is passing between its dead-center points downwardly, so that the electromagnet is operative to draw the crank toward it, permitting the crank to return past both dead-center points by the force of momentum stored in the balancewheel. Obviously. however, any number of sets of magnets and armatures may be connected operatively to different cranks of a single main shaft according to common practice in engine construction.

In practical use when the battery Q is disconnected from the binding-posts the case may move on its hinge and be placed u prightl y, so that the exhausted battery may be conveniently removed therefrom and a new battery inserted therein to be connected to the binding-posts. The connectorT is to be manipulated when starting and stopping the machine. In Fig. 1 the crank D is at the upper deadcenter and the circuit is assumed to be broken by the cam N. Now if the balance-wheel be turned slightly the circuit may be closed so that the electric current may complete the electromagnet and attract the armatures. At first the armature M will be drawn down to the cores (6 and a, the shank 2 forcing down the rod L, which will permit the armature M to advance close enough to the cores to be attracted thereby, the result being that the shank it will further advance the rod L, so that the armature h 2 will advance close enough to be magnetically attracted by the cores, as indicated in Fig. 5, the shank g exerting its force on the rod L. A further movement of the rod L will carry the armature close enough to be attracted, and when drawn down so that all of the armatures or sections are close together the cam will break the circuit, when demagnetization will take place, permitting the rod L to advance somewhat farther and the crank to pass the lower dead-center and advance upwardly and pass the upper deadcenter, when the same actions will be repeated automatically, the several sections of the compound armature being attracted one after another in succession and in turn exerting their force on the projection b, so as to continuously move the rod L, and thereby apply the power generated to the shaft C or to such device as it may be designed to actuate. A machine may be driven by belting it to the pulley F.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is I 1. An electromagnetic power-generator including an electromagnet, a plurality of nesting armatures arranged oppositely to the electromagnet one beyond another therefrom, the ends of the armatures being extended beyond the bodies thereof toward the electromagnet, and a mechanical connector for the plurality of armatures.

2. An electromagnetic power-generator including an electromagnet, and a compound armaturecomprising a plurality of separable sections provided with guides fixed thereto having different lengths, and a mechanical connector adapted to be engaged by the guides.

3. An electromagnetic power-generator including an electromagnet, a movable member, and a plurality of armatures having guides of different lengths secured thereto and extending about the movable member one within another, means carried by the movable member adapted to engage the guides collectively and also successively, and a guide for the movable member.

4:. An electromagnetic power-generator including an electromagnet, a stationary guide, a plurality. of armatures slidingly engaging the stationary guide, a reciprocating rod extending through the armatures, a guide for the reciprocating rod, and means cooperating with the armatures and the reciprocating rod operatively connecting the plurality of armatures in a train.

5. An electromagnetic power-generator including an electromagnet comprising a plurality of cores, a plurality of armatures having hollow guides of different lengths and diameters operating between the cores, a connector extending through the armatures and the hollow guides thereof and having a projection opposite the ends of the guides, and a guide for the connector.

6. An electromagnetic power-generator including an electromagnet comprising a pair of cores, a guide in a plane between the cores, a reciprocating rod movable in the guide and extending beyond the cores, a plurality of armatures mounted on the reciprocating rod opposite to the cores and cooperating to impart motion to the rod, a crankshaft, a frame supporting the crank-shaft, and connections between the reciprocating rod and the crankshaft.

7. An electron'iagnetic power-generator including an electromagnet, a movable member provided with a projection fixed thereto, a plurality of armatures arranged oppositely to the electromagnet one beyond another therefrom and provided each with a push-bar adapted to engage the projection of the movable member, the lengths of the push-bars differing relatively, the armature nearer to the electromagnet having the shorter push-bar and the armature farther from the electromagnet having the longer push-bar:

8. An electromagnetic power-generator including a base, an electromagnet on the base, a connector, a plurality of armatures mounted movably on the connector and moving therewith toward the electromagnet, a frame mounted on the base, a crank-shaft mounted on the frame, a connection between the connector and the crank-shaft, a battery mounted on the base, circuit-wires between the battery and the electromagnet-windings, and a circuit-connector in connection with the circuit-wires.

9. An electromagnetic power-generator including a base, a fixed electromagnet, a reciprocating rod provided with a cross-head at one end thereof, a guide for the opposite end of the rod, a plurality of nesting armatures mounted movably on the rod and moving therewith toward the electromagnet, a frame mounted on the base, a crank-shaft mounted on the frame, a balance-wheel attached to the crank-shaft, a pitman connecting the crosshead of the rod and the crank of the shaft, a guide for the cross-head of the rod, a battery mounted on the base, circuit-wires between the battery and the electromagnet-windings conducting a current to the windings during the approach of the armatures toward the electromagnet, and a circuit-breaker automatically breaking the circuit when the plurality of armatures are collected and nested together against the electromagnet.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH L. POTTER. REINHOLD A. MILLER. lVitnesses:

HARRY D. PIERSON, E. 'l. SILVIUs. 

